Description
Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta is a quick and flavorful dish made with Italian sausage, tomato cream sauce, and pasta—perfect for a comforting weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz penne, rigatoni, or fusilli
- 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
- Fresh basil or parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, drain, and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until browned and fully cooked, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- In the same skillet, sauté onion and red pepper until soft, about 4–5 minutes.
- Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes; cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in crushed tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Reduce heat to low. Stir in heavy cream and Parmesan cheese until sauce is creamy and slightly thickened.
- Return sausage to the skillet. Add cooked pasta and toss to coat. Add pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
- Cook 1–2 minutes more to combine flavors. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley and extra Parmesan. Serve hot.
Notes
- Use hot Italian sausage for extra heat, or mild if serving children.
- Freshly grated Parmesan melts better than pre-shredded varieties.
- Try adding baby spinach or mushrooms for extra veggies.
- For a cheesy topping, add mozzarella and broil for a few minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 620
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 850mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 65g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
Keywords: Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta, sausage pasta with cream, Italian pasta recipe, easy pasta dinner